{Caitlin & Carson}

As I told you yesterday, I have some of Caitlin and Carson's engagement pictures. Their photographer is Kaitlin Roten in Wake Forest. Her blog is so fun! Caitlin found her and she really shoots in a style that she likes. Their first appointment had to be canceled because it was on that "snow day" in December that wasn't very snowy, but wasn't good for photos.

Carson's grandfather has restored several classic cars/trucks and has them at his home, so they decided that would be a fun place to take their photos. They pulled them out of storage and they were great backdrops for a fun shoot. It was about 34 degrees that day, but they just look great---I can't believe they were able to smile in that weather---isn't love great? Anyway---here are a few of the pictures. (OK, I have SOOOO many to choose from that I had to just cut some of the "not as amazing as the other ones"...)To see more, go to the 2point5d Photography blog. Thanks Kaitlin for such a great job. I can't wait to see the wedding shots!

I love this truck---what a fun "prop"!

                                                                                           

Here's one of the barns on the property---love this!

Same shot, black and white~

 

A cool car---it's sort of covered up in this photo, but I loved the bubbles!

Here's a better shot of the car~

Doesn't this look so retro? Love this, too~

 SWEET! This truck is amazing~

 

THIS is classic---such a beautiful couple and a unique picture. I love this photographer's creativity.

 

Like I told you in yesterday's post, Kaitlin Roten is having a contest right now for any married or engaged couple. She'll give them one photo session around Valentine's Day---Take a look at it---it's worth a try! It runs through February 1st---Maybe you'll win! Check it out HERE!

Thanks for stopping by!

{Recycling for Valentines!}

Hello sweet blog friends! WOW! It's been awhile since I've been on here---I did get a new computer, which I thought would make it easier to blog, but I have no time! David has been out of town since December 31---he's teaching overseas, so I've been doing the single mom thing---HOW DO these single parents do this? I'm just so tired---it's not like I have children who are so difficult, but it's just that I am the only one here---wow! He gets home tomorrow, so hopefully life will settle down a bit----yeah, right! (Sorry, it just makes me feel better---I know I'm living in a fantasy world that life will slow down, but a girl can dream, right?)

Here's a little something I did "for the earth" last week----I recycled these cookie tubes and filled them with candy for a couple friends of mine! Hey---I'm as green as can be, right? Yep, you can always count on me to eat all the goodies inside one tube in order to fill it with more goodies and then repackage it and give it to someone else----Yessssss. I'm always thinking of someone else....
One of the best things that I've discovered since living here in North Carolina is the Salem Baking Co. They make the best cookies! My favorites are the Moravian cookies---I'm not even a fan of ginger snaps. but these are like NONE you have ever tasted! They are super thin and crispy---yummy!  Not into Ginger? They make sugar cookies, key lime, pumpkin spice...well, just go here to see them.They make them year round, but I have to have some at Christmas time---which is one of the many reasons I can't ever button my pants in January....but that's another post! These have come in several gift baskets over the years and now I make sure I pick them up during December. They are MUST haves at the holidays for me. ORDER SOME for someone for Valentine's Day.OK----drooling aside, on to the project.

This project was so easy! I just took a piece of  Holiday Cheer 8 x 8 patterned paper, trimmed it to fit the length of the tube and used scor-tape to stick it on.  I made a simple embellishment for the lid and front using Everyday Button Bits---I love these Button Bits sets---they are so simple and fun to use.  I cut the cherries out with circle nestabilities dies and then matted them with scallop circles. The tag was stamped using Friends 'til the End and then cut out using a die from the Double Ended Tags Trio. I tied the tags on using Rustic Cream Button twine. I passed it through the tag holes three times and then tied the buttons on. I used glue dots to keep them in place. I filled this little gift with chocolates, but you could fill it with anything you wanted! What a quick little treat to give some sweet friends.

Thanks so much for stopping by today---I hope to have another post tomorrow with some sweet pictures of Caitlin and Carson from their engagement session---Their photographer, Kaitlin Roten at 2point5d Photography did such a great job---and she's really affordable, so if you need a photographer, you should look her up! She's having a contest right now--if you are in the Raleigh area, you need to check it out!

Valentine's Recycling Treats (all supplies Papertrey Ink unless noted)
Stamps: Everyday Button Bits, Friends 'til the End
Paper: Rustic White, Ripe Avocado, Scarlet Jewel cardstock, Holiday Cheer patterned paper
Ink: Ripe Avocado, Raspberry Fizz
Tools/Accessories: Vintage buttons, Rustic Cream Twine, Cuttlebug, Scallop Circle and circle nestabilities dies, Double Ended tags (Spellbinders)

{Stampy stuff}

ETA: I accidentally published this without most of the words---UGH~I HATE it when I do something like that. I don't want to delete it because it took me forever to upload the photos---so please forgive me if you read this before I had done this editing~~~

Well, I did do some stamping in December---not very much, mind you, but I did some. Since I didn't get to post much---OK, anything during the month, I'm posting it now---I won't list any supplies---if you have a question about something, just ask me---I can say that with total confidence that no one will ask---this is why I say it!!! But seriously, if by chance you have a question, I'll be happy to tell what supplies I used.

Here's a tag I made for David---you can't really see if for all of the tulle, but it's there~

more tags---notice Joshua's homemade tag----on the yellow sticky note---I love that personal touch~

I found these snowflake tie ons last year after Christmas for about 15 cents each---EVERYONE got them! LOVE embellishments~

More family tags---I love these stockings. These stockings will come out every year---the set is a mix and match set from Papertrey Ink and I just LOVED it---I went really simple on these tags, but I used this set on my Christmas card, too.

More snowflake tags--(I had to use those tie ons, you know~)

These are more tags that I used for my family gifts---I made TONS of them and then had to punt on Christmas eve and make some more---while we were at my Mom's house---I had to bring my supplies with me. I don't think I have pictures of those---it was late. Does anyone else wait until Christmas eve to wrap? Yeah, well, I did and I swear I'll never do that again---but, I say that every year. UGH~ I was locked in my room the entire day---perhaps this tells you that Christmas is pretty crazy at my house---don't judge me.

This tag was what I used on my teacher gifts this year. I had planned something a little more elaborate, but the first week of December was insane---my heat was out---5 out of 7 days of that first week--off and on, mind you---not 5 consecutive days. The repairman came to my home 4 different times.

I made jam this summer and this is one of the jars I used---this little jar only holds about 2 oz.--not much jam, but lots of cute~ I also used large jars---I think I have a jar of that to show you, but I can't find it right now in my haze--

I start back to work tomorrow----I'm not ready, but I do know not to complain after having two weeks off~It just always takes me awhile to get used to that alarm clock going off again---
Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your week---it's COLD here---it was 17 degrees here this morning---to this Southern girl, that is COLD!

{COOOOOOOOOL Blog Candy}

I won the greatest blog candy in early December. I was just not able to get a picture to you until now---I won this amazing cookbook by Ree Drummond aka Pioneer Woman (PW)! Now, I didn't win it from PW, I won it from Dawn at Spontaneous Clapping! I started reading her blog after she left a comment on mine once and I've been hooked ever since. Dawn aka Dandy went to see Pioneer Woman at a book signing and got an extra book signed to give to one of her readers---aka ME!!! :) (OK, I promise not to use "aka" again in this post.) I actually found out that I won it in this post! You can't know how excited I was----it's sad actually, but I won't go there---just know that I was SUPER excited to win this cookbook. If Ree had been anywhere near Raleigh, NC I would have been there with my camera. All sorts of my" blogging friends" got to see her at her various stops on her book tour and I was moaning about not having a book signing on the east coast. The next thing I know, Spontaneous Clapping is having some candy and I WON! HOW COOL IS THAT? Dawn got married on December 5th, so I didn't get the book until the week before Christmas. What a wonderful surprise to find it in my mailbox! It was like Christmas two days early! So many good looking recipes in this book- I can't wait to try a few. So, this was one of the thrills in my house in December---OK, thrilling for me. Everyone else just looked at me as I laughed with glee when I pulled it out of the envelope---but again, I'm not going there! I hope you have a great day---or night!